Premier League clubs block players from travelling to red-list countries for September international
Premier League clubs have reluctantly and unanimously agreed not to release players for international matches due to be played in countries on the United Kingdom s red list next month.
International managers have been naming their squads for the upcoming September fixtures this week, though with the coronavirus pandemic still causing global upheaval, the Premier League clubs have intervened.
On Monday, Liverpool blocked star forward Mohamed Salah from travelling to join up with Egypt s squad for their home game, though would reportedly have allowed their talisman to travel to Gabon, which is on the UK s amber list.
Countries on the red list for travel to and from the UK require arrivals to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days upon their return, regardless of vaccin…
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has asked Dundee United for permission to speak to their manager, Craig Levein, about taking charge of the national team.
Levein, 45, has been the favourite to succeed George Burley since Rangers manager Walter Smith ruled himself out of a return to the Scotland job, and is reported to be giving serious consideration to a switch to international football.
Burley was dismissed in the wake of a 3-0 friendly defeat by Wales which followed Scotland s failure to reach the play-offs for a place in next year s World Cup.
Levein, a former Scotland international whose playing career was ended prematurely by injury, made his reputation as a manager with a successful 2000-04 spell in charge of Hearts.
A brief, unhappy stint a…
Germany striker Miroslav Klose came off the bench to help fire Bayern Munich back to the top of the Bundesliga after more than 600 days away as the German giants beat Hoffenheim 2-0 on Friday.
Despite being top-scorer at the 2006 World Cup, this was Klose s first league goal of the season and he started the game as third-choice striker behind Germany team-mate Mario Gomez and Croatia s Ivica Olic.
Klose, 31, took over from Olic after 63 minutes and then netted from close-range on 86 minutes to hand Louis van Gaal s Bayern a single-point lead at the top of the table as action resumed after the long winter break.
It is good to be league leaders again and it was nice to be able to get a goal, said Klose.
It was the best proof to van Gaal that Klose is back…
Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he will not return to management until next season.
The 56-year-old has been out of work ever since he got the sack at Real Madrid at the end of the 2014-15 campaign and has been linked with Liverpool in recent weeks.
Nevertheless, the Italian has stressed that he is enjoying his time off for now and will not return to the bench until 2016 as Jurgen Klopp closes in on the Anfield hotseat.
I am enjoying my time off now, Ancelotti was quoted as saying by Associated Press.
But of course, I want to come back to coach a club again. It is my passion, so I want to return to work.
I intend to take my time to rest, but I will be ready to make my comeback next season.
Ancelotti started his managerial career…
Chris Smalling feels Marcus Rashford is bound to break records at Manchester United if he stays injury free.
The 19-year-old broke into the first team at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal in 2015-16 and has since developed into an important first-team member.
He initially endured something of a difficult start to this season, going over three months without a goal following his strike in the 4-1 win over Leicester City back in September, but ended his drought at the weekend as he scored twice to help United see off Reading.
Wayne Rooney equalled Bobby Charlton s all-time scoring record of 249 competitive goals in that game and Smalling believes Rashford can achieve similar things.
I think if Marcus can stay injury free there is no stopping him in t…
Louis van Gaal has warned his Netherlands side that they still have some way to go before they can consider themselves top of the world .
The Oranje drew 1-1 with Norway in World Cup qualifying Group G on Wednesday in Van Gaal s first match back in his third spell as coach of his country.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, but Davy Klaassen equalised in the first half.
The result leaves both the Netherlands and Norway a point behind Group G leaders Turkey, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Montenegro.
Van Gaal was not happy with his side s display and urged them to be more creative.
We may think that this Dutch team is the top of the world, but it is not, he told NOS. We have to function as a team. Norway has pla…
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In what is a blockbuster Champions League semi-final showdown on Tuesday night, Real Madrid will welcome Manchester City to the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid
Starting with the hosts, managing to make a crucial return to winning ways over the weekend as they claimed a 20th Copa del Rey crown, Real Madrid certainly have the feel of a side seeking some recent stability. Long since accepting that they will be unable to defend their Spanish crown this season, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have come under some real scrutiny on either side of the World Cup’s winter break. However, still winning six of their last eight appearances across all competitions a run that stems back to that 3-2 loss against Villarreal on April 8th, the one-time AC Milan b…
Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas insists Jermain Defoe could play against Liverpool, despite Roberto Soldado s hat-trick on Thursday.
The Spain international striker was in superb form as Tottenham finished their UEFA Europa League Group K campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala, preserving the club s 100 per cent winning record in the pool stages.
Soldado had not been on the scoresheet prior to Thursday s encounter since bagging the only goal in Tottenham s 1-0 Premier League fixture with Hull City at the end of October.
The 28-year-old s barren run saw him lose his spot in the starting XI to Defoe in the side s last two top-flight matches, which resulted in 2-1 victories over Fulham and Sunderland.
And despite the former Valencia man…
Djibril Cisse feels he could propel Bastia up the Ligue 1 table if he were to make the move from Kuban Krasnodar.
The 32-year-old striker has been linked with a return to his homeland, with Bastia and Montpellier both reported as potential suitors.
Cisse has already stated his belief that a successful spell in France could see him return to the international squad, having last played in October 2011.
As well as preferring a move to Bastia, Cisse is confident he can make an instant impact at the Ligue 1 club, who are currently 13th.
What attracts me to Bastia is that they have very creative environment and (style of) play, he told Yahoo Sport.
But it is true that they may lack a scorer, scoring a few more goals to snatch the points that can make the differe…
“I’m training every day, it’s not easy to do it alone. I’m waiting for a call, I still have so much to give.”
Those are the words of former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who has made it clear that he is still interested in continuing his playing career. Rossi was once tipped to be the next big thing in world football, especially during his early days with United and Villarreal, but as time has gone on injuries have had an unfortunate impact on his career trajectory.
His last club was Genoa back in 2018 and he has been out of a playing job ever since then, and at this moment in time he is recovering from his fifth ACL injury within the last eight years of his career.
Whatever the case may be, it certainly feels like Rossi is willing to give …